The present invention is concerned with various forms of cartons, containers and enclosures formed of panels, particularly where the panels are adapted for repeated reuse and the invention is concerned with systems and devices for assembling and interconnecting the panels in a manner providing simple and sturdy panel interconnection and simplicity in panel separation.
One of the important objectives of the invention is to provide a novel interrelationship of panel parts and of interconnecting or fastening devices which greatly increases the strength and rigidity of the containers formed while at the same time providing for ready separation and reassembly of the container components.
In another important aspect of the invention, components such as the panels employed are arranged and proportioned to provide a modular system in which various of the panels may be employed in various combinations providing containers or enclosures of various different sizes and shapes.
The present invention is also concerned with a system for interconnecting panels, particularly panels of a carton or container where the panels are arranged in edge-to-edge relation either in the same plane or in planes at angles to each other where such angle lies between the same plane (180 degree relationship) and the typical 90 degree relationship at the corners of conventional cartons.
Panel interconnecting systems are well known, especially for the interconnection of panels along the corners or edges of a rectangular carton where the panels extend from each other usually at angles of 90 degrees. Such known fastening systems customarily include connector plates which are fastened to the panels near the 90 degree corner, together with a spring clip extended around the corner and engaging the connector plates. The prior art connection systems of the kind just referred to are not well adapted to the interconnection of panels where the panels lie in the same plane or at some angle to each other greater than the 90 degree angle.
One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a fastening system especially adapted to the interconnection of panels lying in or close to a common plane and providing for snug and secure fastening or interconnection of the panels in a direction across the panel joint, and the arrangement of the invention provides not only for a secure attachment of the panels to each other, but the invention also makes provision for resisting undesired relative shifting movements of the panels in directions paralleling the joint between the panels.
It is a further object of the invention to provide for convenient and simple application of the fastening components and also for ready separation of the joint, thereby contributing to the ease of assembly of shipping cartons and ready separation of the parts for reuse in subsequent packaging.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a system for panel interconnection especially where the panels lie in the same plane and readily adapted to the interconnection of panels or panel pieces of various different sizes and shapes, so that the same fastening devices can be employed in the assembly of cartons of various sizes and shapes in some of which different numbers of panel pieces are used.
While certain features of the invention are of particular advantage in the interconnection of panels lying in planes in a range from 180 degrees to 90 degrees, nevertheless the invention provides connectors which can also be used for interconnection of panels lying in planes even at angles sharper than the 90 degree relationship.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a system for carton panel interconnection incorporating panels having fastening plates for fastening devices along at least one panel edge, the fastening plates at said one edge including plates of two different configurations, one of which is adapted for use in connection with another panel lying in the same plane and the other of which is adapted for use in connection with another panel at a corner of the carton. This provides for alternative use of a given carton panel alternatively in cartons of different configurations.
In accordance with another object of the invention, provision is made for the use of panels having not only the serial corner interconnection system referred to above but also having horizontal edge portions configured to provide for guided vertical overlapping of the panels.
It is also to be understood that the fastening devices of the present invention are applicable not only to cartons but also to a wide variety of enclosures or the like, such as boxes, containers, vessels, structural partitioning or enclosures, used, for example, for human occupancy, and the use of the term container herein is not to be understood in a limited sense.